Sweet Sugary Surprise

What’s fresh and sweet and green all over? Meet Truvia, the newest brand of zero-calorie sweetener. Truvia is made from the leaves of the stevia plant and the honest and sweet taste comes from a natural ingredient from the plant’s leaves. This ingredient is called rebiana and it gives the sweetener its clean and natural taste. But what’s the real scoop on Truvia?

The truth is this; the little leaf has a sweet secret. The stevia plant has been used to sweeten foods and beverages for hundreds of years, but the best tasting part of the plant, the natural ingredient called rubiana, is what makes Truvia truly special. It sails high above other stevia-based sweeteners and is by far the healthiest. The idea for the Truvia brand sweetener was born from a leaf and is therefore completely natural.

You might ask, what are the other ingredients used to make Truvia? The stevia plant is just one of the few ingredients used to give Truvia that perfectly sweet taste. Erythritol is the second ingredient that can be found on the back of this environmentally conscious package. Erythritol, although its name sounds a bit daunting, is really just sugar found in grapes and pears. Totally natural. The ingredient has been a part of our diet as humans for thousands of years. It is found in fruits such as pears, melons, grapes, and even foods like mushrooms, wine, soy sauce, and cheese. Don’t be intimidated by Erythritol. It is added to foods and products like Truvia in order to provide sweetness and to enhance taste and texture of foods.

Now, back to reality. Does Truvia really taste as good as it sounds? In Bio Nutrition class, students taste-tested the newest brand of zero-calorie sweetener on the market, and all students agreed: Truvia is not as delicious as it seems. The important thing to remember though, is that Truvia should be added to foods and beverages to enhance flavor and sweetness, not to give the food or beverage a complete taste overhaul. When the sweetener is eaten alone, yes, the taste can be a jolt to the senses. But when it comes down to it, Truvia is healthy and made from all natural ingredients. With that said, the taste hardly seems to matter.

While Truvia is a great choice when it comes to natural sweeteners, the FDA has yet to approve the stevia plant from which the sweetener is made. The FDA has offered their support of rebiana, the 97% high-purity ingredient derived from the best-tasting part of the stevia leaf. They have not, however, approved all of stevia; the Truvia brand itself has been approved.
So next time you crave that bit of sugary sweet goodness, don’t be afraid to open a pack of Truvia and pour it in that delicious ice cold beverage. And voila! The flavor is transformed and Truvia will instantly become a staple of your sugar-craved diet.